From the Ground Up

From The Ground Up
Volume 2 Issue 1
Winter 1999 A Publication of the IPFW Physical Plant
Maintenance mechanic hails from Romania but his home is the USA by Cathy Proctor-Droes
Sam Kmety says his hobby is "fixing things up and making them work." It's fitting then that he would choose a job where he could get paid for doing the same thing. As a first shift maintenance mechanic for the Physical Plant, Kmety fixes everything from the heat, lights and plumbing to a broken leg on a piece of furniture. He is also responsible for performing preventive maintenance and responding to work orders generated from his assigned areas of Neff Hall and the Engineering and Technology building. It's the kind of work that is done independently and Kmety has been happy doing it for the past eight years. "For me it's a pleasure to come to work each day," he said. But a mere 14 years ago Kmety would probably not have been able to make that kind of statement. Work could not be described as pleasurable in his native country of Romania. In fact life had become unbearable and even frightening in the former communist controlled country. So in 1984, Kmety made a decision that gave him control over his own destiny. He obtained a passport to leave Romania and visit his sister who lived in the United States. Little did the authorities know that he had no intention of returning. "I left everything behind," said Kmety, including his wife Viorica, his daughter Carmen and a job at an electric power plant where he had been employed for 23 years. According to Kmety, the hardest part of his defection to the US was the four-year separation from his family who, because of his departure, were often harassed by Romania's Secret Police. "I told my wife to hang on and not lose hope," he said. "I knew things would eventually smooth over." But until Viorica was allowed to join him in 1988, Kmety had to make his way in a new country and culture. At first he lived with his sister and brother-in-law in Florida, but later joined his nephew in Fort Wayne who had opened a hair salon and needed help with designing the interior. Kmety, who at the time spoke the languages of Romanian, Slovak, Hungarian and Russian, unfortunately spoke very little English. He sought work at Whitley Manufacturing Company, whose vice president was Romanian, and spent two years there. At the request of his nephew he left his job at Whitley to take over as manager of the hair salon. It was there that he took command of the English language. "My nephew told me I could answer the phone and deal with the customers," said Kmety. "This is how I learned to speak English." After two years of managing the salon, Kmety's English had improved to the point that he applied for a maintenance position with Mullinix Packages in Fort Wayne. By this time his wife had joined him in the States, with their daughter arriving a year later in 1989. His daughter, who held a master’s degree in physics from Romania, became a student at IPFW where she earned a masters in mathematics. She also was employed by IPFW's chemistry department. It was through his daughter's urging that he inquired about his current position at the Physical Plant which she felt would give her father much better working conditions. He applied for the job and accepted the position in 1990. With his family now in the US and his new job at IPFW there was just one thing more that Kmety desired - US Citizenship. When he passed the test after one attempt in 1991 he truly felt he was living his American dream. "It was a big day for me ... it was just fantastic," he said. "It had been my dream since I was a child to come to America." When he's not at work you'll usually find Kmety engrossed in his favorite hobby - fixing things up. Since he came to Fort Wayne, he has purchased and renovated four run-down houses, including a condemned house on Ardmore Street where he now lives. He says that it's not only profitable, but it improves the neighborhoods where the homes are located. It's this attitude that Kmety contributes to the Physical Plant's maintenance department each day - an attitude of working hard to not only maintain, but improve on what's already there. He acknowledges that he may work independently, but he doesn't do his job alone. "It's a family atmosphere here," said Kmety. "We work together to help each other out."
First shift maintenance mechanic, Sam Kmety, says it is a pleasure to come to work each day.
From Dave’s Desk by David A. Danielson, Director
As 1999 begins, so will a year of change within the Physical Plant. Before all is said and done, many renovation projects will have been started and completed that will impact all units within the department. Renovation work means a lot of coordination, scheduling, extra clean up, security issues, utility shutdowns, etc. While the long-term outcome of this work will be positive, the immediate effect will be extra effort on everyone's part. A consorted effort will be needed by all groups to ensure that daily routines of our building customers and students are affected as minimally as possible. Phase Two of our energy project has already begun and, because of the types of work being completed, will surely create quite a few dilemmas for us. Both Kettler and Walb Student Union will be affected the most because of the new ceilings and new lighting they are getting. Also, the renovation of the north wing in Kettler will also create many nightmares for us all. Renovation work in an occupied facility always brings many issue, from noise and dust, to contractors in parking spaces. Later this spring the outside renovations will begin. At the top of the list will be some necessary and much needed road and parking lot repairs. The effects here will be traffic congestion, parking issues and delays in driving around campus. Again, everyone will be impacted and we will need to work together to make the results positive. I look forward to the upcoming year and all the associated renovations. The improvements in our campus facilities and grounds will be wonderful. Our ability to maintain, clean and secure our renovated facilities will be greatly enhanced. You may notice a special insert included with this issue of From the Ground Up. Along with the regular photo sections I felt it was important to include "action" shots of departmental employees out doing their jobs or sharing some time together at our annual holiday dinners. As always, I would appreciate any comments regarding the newsletter or suggestions for other items you would like to see included. Dave
Physical Plant Safety Committee spreads responsibility for safety throughout the department by Renee Eshcoff, Environmental Health & Safety Coordinator
As safety becomes an increasingly important issue in the workplace, many IPFW departments are finding that preventing accidents and creating a safe work environment demand time, energy and resources. To address these demands, some departments are looking for alternatives to simply making safety the responsibility of one person. Departmental safety committees are an excellent approach to tackling multiple safety issues as well as providing a way for management and employees to work together to find solutions for safety issues in the workplace. This concept was recognized by the Physical Plant in April 1998, when the Physical Plant Safety Committee was established. The Physical Plant Safety Committee enlists the input of departmental representatives from all fractions of the Physical Plant including: Charlie Showalter, Building Services; Deb Jur and Dave Dial, Grounds Department; Bill Reed, Maintenance and Operations; and Bill Daugherty, Police and Safety. Additionally, Dave Danielson, Physical Plant Director, and I are members, ex officio. Bringing together experienced members from different areas helps to meet the goal of the committee: spreading the responsibility for safety throughout the department. The first task of the Committee was to state our purpose through the following mission statement: "To establish policies, procedures, and standard practices; audit areas and departments with the goal of reducing or eliminating preventable accidents within the campus community including, but not exclusive to, personal injury or property damage." The next order of business for the Committee was the creation of a Safety Review Checklist form. This checklist, broken down into Chemical Safety for Non-Lab Areas and General Safety, will help in the constant review of affected Physical Plant areas. Items on the checklist include housekeeping, machinery and equipment, lockout/tagout, portable ladders, fueling operations, tire inflation, personal protective equipment, emergency protection, hearing conservation, fall protection, confined space entry and welding operations. Training and education of Physical Plant employees is a top priority of the Safety Committee. To help facilitate this goal, numerous training videos have been purchased. Charlie Showalter, committee chairperson, has met with upper-management in the Physical Plant to advocate refresher training sessions. Each department representative of the Committee has been given the charge of determining what types of training and education would assist them in carrying out their duties in a safer, more effective manner. Members of the Physical Plant Safety Committee agree that a departmental safety committee serves a threefold purpose: solving safety issues in the workplace, controlling costs associated with accidents, and increasing everyone's awareness of safety. If any other IPFW departments are interested in creating a safer work environment, please contact me at 5744.
Physical Plant Safety Committee members (front row) Deb Jur, Renee Eshcoff, Bill Reed, (back row) Charlie Showalter, Bill Daugherty and Dave Danielson meet monthly to review safety issues from all departments of the Physical Plant.
Mary Waskiewicz, Physical Plant Office Manager, says that the CMMS will help in giving a total inventory of the campus.
Physical Plant goes "state of the art" with new Computerized Maintenance Management System by Mary Waskiewicz, Office Manager
This past spring Physical Plant purchased a Computerized Maintenance Management System - CMMS, for short - from MicroMain Corporation based in Texas. Our goal in purchasing this program is to have all aspects of Physical Plant completely computerized. Just a few of the features that the CMMS will allow us to do are set up schedules for preventative maintenance, maintenance tracking, inventories, and budgeting by Physical Plant departments. In addition, all work orders received are entered in the computer and a variety of reports can be generated from the information. The program is also customizable to our needs using Microsoft Access. “Our goal in purchasing this program is to have all aspects of Physical Plant completely computerized.” Administrative Secretary Mary McEvoy and I have been entering data in the program. Each room of every building on campus has been assigned an "asset" number, and then other information specific to that room is added. Eventually all elements of campus such as the air handlers, boilers, chillers, and even the university fleet will be added in the system. Indeed, the information in the CMMS will give us a total inventory of campus. Generated reports on any of these assets will be used for many purposes one of which is the identification of ongoing problems on a piece of equipment. Any decisions to replace or repair can then be based on the data collected on the unit. Physical Plant is also in the process of constructing a web page with interactive forms. The campus community will be able to utilize these forms for their work requests and also to make a reservation for a fleet vehicle. Data collection and its utilization, is one of the main objectives of Physical Plant for the coming year. Our goal is to make Physical Plant a state of the art department in order to support the higher education process of the university community.
Behind the Scenes
News for and about the Physical Plant Employees
Birthdays!
JANUARY
2 Tim Ellsworth 8 Mike Bondar 14 Brian Itt 15 Jerry McCagg 22 Dan Matthews 23 Ezel Smith 24 Matt Goeglin 26 Jim Henderson 30 Gary Cooley 30 Mary Waskiewicz
FEBRUARY
4 Dale Winter 20 Mattie Irby 22 Bob Brooks 25 Tom Haner 27 Lora Caldwell 28 Paul Lindenberg
MARCH
1 David Scott 3 Ron Motz 6 James Hall 8 Al Peters 13 Charlie Showalter 18 Jeff Davis 21 John Parkison 28 Barry Wygant 29 Dave Gessner
APRIL
5 Rebecca Holloway 5 Betty Roberts 11 Kelly Simpson 14 Richard Igney 18 Greg Clements 22 Sam Queen 22 Joie Thompson 27 Joel Ruprecht 29 Renee Eshcoff
Transfers, Reassignments and Promotions
Ron Burkart Security Officer to Police Officer
Ron Volz Custodian III to Project Relief Custodian IV, 3rd shift
Sandi Kersey, Lead Custodian IV Lateral move from 2nd to 3rd shift
Larry Smith, Lead Custodian IV Lateral move from 3rd to 2nd shift
Mary Waskiewicz Account Clerk IV to Account Clerk V
Ron Burkart (center) at his swearing-in ceremony as IPFW's new police officer with Police Chief Lauren Denhartog (left) and Vice Chancellor - Financial Affairs Walt Branson.
Service Recognition Jan - Apr 1999
Congratulations and thanks to the following employees for their loyal and dedicated service.
Mary McEvoy 10 years 03/06/89
Leonard Jones 15 years 01/16/84
Betty Roberts 15 years 04/30/84
Greg Clements 20 years 03/05/79
Larry Jenks retired from the University Police Department 11/22/98 with 10 years of service.
Physical Plant implements a Suggestion Box for ideas by Mary Waskiewicz
All of us in the Physical Plant are working to create a functional, safe, clean and beautiful campus. For the past month Physical Plant employees have been encouraged even more to make suggestions that would help to that end result. A suggestion box, located next to the individual mailboxes, was recently added as a place where employees can deposit their written ideas for making the Physical Plant run smoother. Suggestions on department or campus safety, efficient work procedures, ways to save money, time or paperwork - indeed, all ideas - will be given careful consideration. Suggestions that are implemented by the Physical Plant will automatically be sent to the IMPROVE (Ideas Merit Promotions and Recognition Of Valued Employees) IPFW committee. Merit awards are selected and a drawing is held by the Financial Affairs Senior Staff from all entries received in a given month.
Welcome New Employees!
Three new employees joined the 3rd shift Building Services staff (left to right): Alysia Caldwell 12/7/98, Mattie Irby 11/30/98 and Matthew Goeglin 11/9/98. New employees pictured below (clockwise from left) are Dan Ochs, Greg Justice and David Gessner. Ochs began working in the Grounds Department on 12/14/98. Justice, the new Construction Project Manager started on 1/1/99. Gessner began his 2nd shift position in Operations and Maintenance on 11/20/98.
From The Ground Up is published three times a year by the Physical Plant.
Director of Physical Plant: David A. Danielson
Editor, Writer, Graphic Design: Cathy Proctor-Droes
Physical Plant Photo Album Fall 1998
11-25-98: Dennis Graf in the bucket truck and John Parkison on the ground hanging Christmas lights by the gazebo.
11-25-98: Mary McEvoy, Don Katter, Velma Surry, Al Peters and Jim Henderson at the Physical Plant Thanksgiving luncheon.
11-25-98: Ron Pequignot in the front end loader mixing sand with salt for road mix needed in the coming winter months.
11-25-98: Dave Dial getting one of our snow plow trucks ready for winter.
11-30-98: Mary McEvoy and Mary Waskiewicz working in the Physical Plant front office.
12-14-98: Todd Travis, Jim Henderson, Danny Ochs and Mike Bondar building the women's softball dugout.
Physical Plant Photo Album Winter 1999
12-19-98: Ruth Wartell, Kelly Simpson, Chancellor Wartell and Valerie Null at the 3rd Shift Christmas luncheon.
12-19-98: Mary McMahon, Ron Burkart and Jeff Davis at the 3rd Shift Christmas luncheon.
1-5-99: Snow removal equipment behind the Physical Plant is ready to roll.
1-5-99: Mark Haney and Deb Jur clearing the steps by the Walb Union.
1-5-99: A plowed sidewalk next to the Life Science Building.
1-5-99: Even we get stuck in the snow! The snowplow truck on the left pulled the "stuck" truck on the right out of the snow.

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From The Ground Up
Volume 2 Issue 1
Winter 1999 A Publication of the IPFW Physical Plant
Maintenance mechanic hails from Romania but his home is the USA by Cathy Proctor-Droes
Sam Kmety says his hobby is "fixing things up and making them work." It's fitting then that he would choose a job where he could get paid for doing the same thing. As a first shift maintenance mechanic for the Physical Plant, Kmety fixes everything from the heat, lights and plumbing to a broken leg on a piece of furniture. He is also responsible for performing preventive maintenance and responding to work orders generated from his assigned areas of Neff Hall and the Engineering and Technology building. It's the kind of work that is done independently and Kmety has been happy doing it for the past eight years. "For me it's a pleasure to come to work each day," he said. But a mere 14 years ago Kmety would probably not have been able to make that kind of statement. Work could not be described as pleasurable in his native country of Romania. In fact life had become unbearable and even frightening in the former communist controlled country. So in 1984, Kmety made a decision that gave him control over his own destiny. He obtained a passport to leave Romania and visit his sister who lived in the United States. Little did the authorities know that he had no intention of returning. "I left everything behind," said Kmety, including his wife Viorica, his daughter Carmen and a job at an electric power plant where he had been employed for 23 years. According to Kmety, the hardest part of his defection to the US was the four-year separation from his family who, because of his departure, were often harassed by Romania's Secret Police. "I told my wife to hang on and not lose hope," he said. "I knew things would eventually smooth over." But until Viorica was allowed to join him in 1988, Kmety had to make his way in a new country and culture. At first he lived with his sister and brother-in-law in Florida, but later joined his nephew in Fort Wayne who had opened a hair salon and needed help with designing the interior. Kmety, who at the time spoke the languages of Romanian, Slovak, Hungarian and Russian, unfortunately spoke very little English. He sought work at Whitley Manufacturing Company, whose vice president was Romanian, and spent two years there. At the request of his nephew he left his job at Whitley to take over as manager of the hair salon. It was there that he took command of the English language. "My nephew told me I could answer the phone and deal with the customers," said Kmety. "This is how I learned to speak English." After two years of managing the salon, Kmety's English had improved to the point that he applied for a maintenance position with Mullinix Packages in Fort Wayne. By this time his wife had joined him in the States, with their daughter arriving a year later in 1989. His daughter, who held a master’s degree in physics from Romania, became a student at IPFW where she earned a masters in mathematics. She also was employed by IPFW's chemistry department. It was through his daughter's urging that he inquired about his current position at the Physical Plant which she felt would give her father much better working conditions. He applied for the job and accepted the position in 1990. With his family now in the US and his new job at IPFW there was just one thing more that Kmety desired - US Citizenship. When he passed the test after one attempt in 1991 he truly felt he was living his American dream. "It was a big day for me ... it was just fantastic," he said. "It had been my dream since I was a child to come to America." When he's not at work you'll usually find Kmety engrossed in his favorite hobby - fixing things up. Since he came to Fort Wayne, he has purchased and renovated four run-down houses, including a condemned house on Ardmore Street where he now lives. He says that it's not only profitable, but it improves the neighborhoods where the homes are located. It's this attitude that Kmety contributes to the Physical Plant's maintenance department each day - an attitude of working hard to not only maintain, but improve on what's already there. He acknowledges that he may work independently, but he doesn't do his job alone. "It's a family atmosphere here," said Kmety. "We work together to help each other out."
First shift maintenance mechanic, Sam Kmety, says it is a pleasure to come to work each day.
From Dave’s Desk by David A. Danielson, Director
As 1999 begins, so will a year of change within the Physical Plant. Before all is said and done, many renovation projects will have been started and completed that will impact all units within the department. Renovation work means a lot of coordination, scheduling, extra clean up, security issues, utility shutdowns, etc. While the long-term outcome of this work will be positive, the immediate effect will be extra effort on everyone's part. A consorted effort will be needed by all groups to ensure that daily routines of our building customers and students are affected as minimally as possible. Phase Two of our energy project has already begun and, because of the types of work being completed, will surely create quite a few dilemmas for us. Both Kettler and Walb Student Union will be affected the most because of the new ceilings and new lighting they are getting. Also, the renovation of the north wing in Kettler will also create many nightmares for us all. Renovation work in an occupied facility always brings many issue, from noise and dust, to contractors in parking spaces. Later this spring the outside renovations will begin. At the top of the list will be some necessary and much needed road and parking lot repairs. The effects here will be traffic congestion, parking issues and delays in driving around campus. Again, everyone will be impacted and we will need to work together to make the results positive. I look forward to the upcoming year and all the associated renovations. The improvements in our campus facilities and grounds will be wonderful. Our ability to maintain, clean and secure our renovated facilities will be greatly enhanced. You may notice a special insert included with this issue of From the Ground Up. Along with the regular photo sections I felt it was important to include "action" shots of departmental employees out doing their jobs or sharing some time together at our annual holiday dinners. As always, I would appreciate any comments regarding the newsletter or suggestions for other items you would like to see included. Dave
Physical Plant Safety Committee spreads responsibility for safety throughout the department by Renee Eshcoff, Environmental Health & Safety Coordinator
As safety becomes an increasingly important issue in the workplace, many IPFW departments are finding that preventing accidents and creating a safe work environment demand time, energy and resources. To address these demands, some departments are looking for alternatives to simply making safety the responsibility of one person. Departmental safety committees are an excellent approach to tackling multiple safety issues as well as providing a way for management and employees to work together to find solutions for safety issues in the workplace. This concept was recognized by the Physical Plant in April 1998, when the Physical Plant Safety Committee was established. The Physical Plant Safety Committee enlists the input of departmental representatives from all fractions of the Physical Plant including: Charlie Showalter, Building Services; Deb Jur and Dave Dial, Grounds Department; Bill Reed, Maintenance and Operations; and Bill Daugherty, Police and Safety. Additionally, Dave Danielson, Physical Plant Director, and I are members, ex officio. Bringing together experienced members from different areas helps to meet the goal of the committee: spreading the responsibility for safety throughout the department. The first task of the Committee was to state our purpose through the following mission statement: "To establish policies, procedures, and standard practices; audit areas and departments with the goal of reducing or eliminating preventable accidents within the campus community including, but not exclusive to, personal injury or property damage." The next order of business for the Committee was the creation of a Safety Review Checklist form. This checklist, broken down into Chemical Safety for Non-Lab Areas and General Safety, will help in the constant review of affected Physical Plant areas. Items on the checklist include housekeeping, machinery and equipment, lockout/tagout, portable ladders, fueling operations, tire inflation, personal protective equipment, emergency protection, hearing conservation, fall protection, confined space entry and welding operations. Training and education of Physical Plant employees is a top priority of the Safety Committee. To help facilitate this goal, numerous training videos have been purchased. Charlie Showalter, committee chairperson, has met with upper-management in the Physical Plant to advocate refresher training sessions. Each department representative of the Committee has been given the charge of determining what types of training and education would assist them in carrying out their duties in a safer, more effective manner. Members of the Physical Plant Safety Committee agree that a departmental safety committee serves a threefold purpose: solving safety issues in the workplace, controlling costs associated with accidents, and increasing everyone's awareness of safety. If any other IPFW departments are interested in creating a safer work environment, please contact me at 5744.
Physical Plant Safety Committee members (front row) Deb Jur, Renee Eshcoff, Bill Reed, (back row) Charlie Showalter, Bill Daugherty and Dave Danielson meet monthly to review safety issues from all departments of the Physical Plant.
Mary Waskiewicz, Physical Plant Office Manager, says that the CMMS will help in giving a total inventory of the campus.
Physical Plant goes "state of the art" with new Computerized Maintenance Management System by Mary Waskiewicz, Office Manager
This past spring Physical Plant purchased a Computerized Maintenance Management System - CMMS, for short - from MicroMain Corporation based in Texas. Our goal in purchasing this program is to have all aspects of Physical Plant completely computerized. Just a few of the features that the CMMS will allow us to do are set up schedules for preventative maintenance, maintenance tracking, inventories, and budgeting by Physical Plant departments. In addition, all work orders received are entered in the computer and a variety of reports can be generated from the information. The program is also customizable to our needs using Microsoft Access. “Our goal in purchasing this program is to have all aspects of Physical Plant completely computerized.” Administrative Secretary Mary McEvoy and I have been entering data in the program. Each room of every building on campus has been assigned an "asset" number, and then other information specific to that room is added. Eventually all elements of campus such as the air handlers, boilers, chillers, and even the university fleet will be added in the system. Indeed, the information in the CMMS will give us a total inventory of campus. Generated reports on any of these assets will be used for many purposes one of which is the identification of ongoing problems on a piece of equipment. Any decisions to replace or repair can then be based on the data collected on the unit. Physical Plant is also in the process of constructing a web page with interactive forms. The campus community will be able to utilize these forms for their work requests and also to make a reservation for a fleet vehicle. Data collection and its utilization, is one of the main objectives of Physical Plant for the coming year. Our goal is to make Physical Plant a state of the art department in order to support the higher education process of the university community.
Behind the Scenes
News for and about the Physical Plant Employees
Birthdays!
JANUARY
2 Tim Ellsworth 8 Mike Bondar 14 Brian Itt 15 Jerry McCagg 22 Dan Matthews 23 Ezel Smith 24 Matt Goeglin 26 Jim Henderson 30 Gary Cooley 30 Mary Waskiewicz
FEBRUARY
4 Dale Winter 20 Mattie Irby 22 Bob Brooks 25 Tom Haner 27 Lora Caldwell 28 Paul Lindenberg
MARCH
1 David Scott 3 Ron Motz 6 James Hall 8 Al Peters 13 Charlie Showalter 18 Jeff Davis 21 John Parkison 28 Barry Wygant 29 Dave Gessner
APRIL
5 Rebecca Holloway 5 Betty Roberts 11 Kelly Simpson 14 Richard Igney 18 Greg Clements 22 Sam Queen 22 Joie Thompson 27 Joel Ruprecht 29 Renee Eshcoff
Transfers, Reassignments and Promotions
Ron Burkart Security Officer to Police Officer
Ron Volz Custodian III to Project Relief Custodian IV, 3rd shift
Sandi Kersey, Lead Custodian IV Lateral move from 2nd to 3rd shift
Larry Smith, Lead Custodian IV Lateral move from 3rd to 2nd shift
Mary Waskiewicz Account Clerk IV to Account Clerk V
Ron Burkart (center) at his swearing-in ceremony as IPFW's new police officer with Police Chief Lauren Denhartog (left) and Vice Chancellor - Financial Affairs Walt Branson.
Service Recognition Jan - Apr 1999
Congratulations and thanks to the following employees for their loyal and dedicated service.
Mary McEvoy 10 years 03/06/89
Leonard Jones 15 years 01/16/84
Betty Roberts 15 years 04/30/84
Greg Clements 20 years 03/05/79
Larry Jenks retired from the University Police Department 11/22/98 with 10 years of service.
Physical Plant implements a Suggestion Box for ideas by Mary Waskiewicz
All of us in the Physical Plant are working to create a functional, safe, clean and beautiful campus. For the past month Physical Plant employees have been encouraged even more to make suggestions that would help to that end result. A suggestion box, located next to the individual mailboxes, was recently added as a place where employees can deposit their written ideas for making the Physical Plant run smoother. Suggestions on department or campus safety, efficient work procedures, ways to save money, time or paperwork - indeed, all ideas - will be given careful consideration. Suggestions that are implemented by the Physical Plant will automatically be sent to the IMPROVE (Ideas Merit Promotions and Recognition Of Valued Employees) IPFW committee. Merit awards are selected and a drawing is held by the Financial Affairs Senior Staff from all entries received in a given month.
Welcome New Employees!
Three new employees joined the 3rd shift Building Services staff (left to right): Alysia Caldwell 12/7/98, Mattie Irby 11/30/98 and Matthew Goeglin 11/9/98. New employees pictured below (clockwise from left) are Dan Ochs, Greg Justice and David Gessner. Ochs began working in the Grounds Department on 12/14/98. Justice, the new Construction Project Manager started on 1/1/99. Gessner began his 2nd shift position in Operations and Maintenance on 11/20/98.
From The Ground Up is published three times a year by the Physical Plant.
Director of Physical Plant: David A. Danielson
Editor, Writer, Graphic Design: Cathy Proctor-Droes
Physical Plant Photo Album Fall 1998
11-25-98: Dennis Graf in the bucket truck and John Parkison on the ground hanging Christmas lights by the gazebo.
11-25-98: Mary McEvoy, Don Katter, Velma Surry, Al Peters and Jim Henderson at the Physical Plant Thanksgiving luncheon.
11-25-98: Ron Pequignot in the front end loader mixing sand with salt for road mix needed in the coming winter months.
11-25-98: Dave Dial getting one of our snow plow trucks ready for winter.
11-30-98: Mary McEvoy and Mary Waskiewicz working in the Physical Plant front office.
12-14-98: Todd Travis, Jim Henderson, Danny Ochs and Mike Bondar building the women's softball dugout.
Physical Plant Photo Album Winter 1999
12-19-98: Ruth Wartell, Kelly Simpson, Chancellor Wartell and Valerie Null at the 3rd Shift Christmas luncheon.
12-19-98: Mary McMahon, Ron Burkart and Jeff Davis at the 3rd Shift Christmas luncheon.
1-5-99: Snow removal equipment behind the Physical Plant is ready to roll.
1-5-99: Mark Haney and Deb Jur clearing the steps by the Walb Union.
1-5-99: A plowed sidewalk next to the Life Science Building.
1-5-99: Even we get stuck in the snow! The snowplow truck on the left pulled the "stuck" truck on the right out of the snow.